GOATS' MILK

Each year the British Goat Society registers about 9000 pedigree animals and it is thought that there are at least as many non‐pedigree animals born each year and kept for milk. In all, there may be between 110,000 and 120,000 goats in the country. Goats' milk is now offered for sale almost everywhere in the UK at prices ranging from 25 to 45p a pint. Many more farmers are looking at the possibilities of keeping herds of goats for milking and this milk is also being widely used for cheese and yogurt. Within the smallholding world, there has been a great deal of publicity and education about the importance of hygiene. Rodney Collinge teaches chemistry and also keeps goats. He explains why goats' milk is becoming more popular, how reputable keepers sell a product with high standards of hygiene and describes the new Code of Practice that has been adopted by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland.